The couple met in Hayden in May 1952. Rosie was a sophomore in high school. She was active in varsity basketball. Billy had recently been discharged after serving four years in the Air Force. A Korean War veteran, Billy had been stationed at Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino, Calif. After that he worked as an electrician and maintenance foreman for Kennecott Copper Corp. A year later, on Aug. 22, 1953, the couple was married in Tucson.